Lisa Barnett

Four years ago, Lisa Barnett reached a pivotal moment in her life. After 15 years of addiction, she decided to turn her life around.

"This change was spurred by the birth of my first child," she remembers. "Suddenly I wanted, expected and demanded more of myself. I had a little one looking up to me, and it was important to me that she saw that I was doing my best."

With the help and support of friends, family and the community, she became the trustworthy, productive member of society and the loving, responsible parent she had always intended to be.

"Being present in life has opened so many doors for me, and those opportunities are cherished gifts that I will not jeopardize," she says. "I regret terribly the decisions I made and am humbled by my past. But humble is good. It motivates me and keeps me grateful.

"My decision to enroll at COCC was a fantastic one. I have encountered countless opportunities to explore and grow. I now participate in activities I never would have imagined would interest me and am thrilled with all that I am learning."

Lisa has earned a 4.0 grade-point average while pursuing a degree in engineering management. She is a founding member of the Student Sustainability Club, the founder and president of the college's new garden club and a member of the Spanish conversation group. She plans to transfer to OSU-Cascades Campus. She was selected as one of two members of the 2012 COCC All Academic Team and honored at a luncheon hosted by Governor Kitzhaber.

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